FBI trainee, Clarice Starling, leaves her field training at the FBI Academy to urgently meet with Behavioral Science’s Jack Crawford. Crawford lauds Clarice’s academic success, which confuses Clarice as she believed Crawford was indifferent toward her. Crawford’s lectures and reputation prominently influenced Clarice to join the FBI. Behavioral Science wants to build a profiling database using questionnaires from serial killers. Some criminals—like Dr. Hannibal Lecter—refuse to be interviewed, so the database is incomplete. Lecter notoriously refuses to discuss his own crimes, so professionals can’t diagnose him.

Crawford asks Clarice to interview Lecter because the Buffalo Bill investigation has left him short-staffed. Clarice agrees despite her fears because she wants to work in Behavioral Science. Crawford warns Clarice against giving Lecter personal details because he has a history of manipulating these for his amusement. If Lecter refuses the questionnaire, Clarice must still report on his condition. Crawford gives Clarice a deadline before she leaves.

Clarice meets with Dr. Frederick Chilton, the administrator of the Baltimore Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Chilton makes romantic advances toward Clarice, but much to his chagrin, she stays focused on her assignment. Outside of Chilton’s office, an inmate/employee named Alan verbally harasses her.